	Byermoor Colliery	Index	Byermoor Colliery

Byermoor Colliery

Location:

Byermoor
6 miles [9 km] SW of Newcastle

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ187571, 54° 54' 32" N, 1° 42' 25" W

Maps:

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1951 map from the Guide to the Coalfields (Colliery Guardian)

Opened:

1860

Closed:

02 Feb 1968

Pits:

Shaft details for Byermoor Colliery

Owners:

1860s - Marley Hill Coal Co.

1880s - John Bowes & Partners Ltd.

1947 - National Coal Board (N.C.B.)

Output:

1882 - Coal. Fireclay.

1883 - Coal. Fireclay.

1888 - Coal. Fireclay.

1890 - Coal. Fireclay.

1894 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1896 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1900 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1902 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1905 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam. Fireclay.

1910 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1915 - Coal: Coking, Steam. Fireclay.

1921 - Coal: Coking, Steam.

1925 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1930 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1935 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1947 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam. (116,000 tons)

1950 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1955 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1960 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

1964 - Coal: Coking, Gas, Steam.

Employment:

Year	Total	Below	Above
1894	297	192	105
1896	312	202	110
1900	319	219	100
1902	357	250	107
1905	394	298	96
1910	470	346	124
1915	323	250	73
1921	395	289	106
1925	399	299	100
1930	385	297	88
1935	371	299	72
1940	376	313	63
1945	301	245	56
1947	305	250	55
1950	340	274	66
1955	397	330	67
1960	392	320	72
1964	372	300	72

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1905 - Brockwell, Busty

1910 - Brockwell, Busty

1915 - Brockwell, Busty

1921 - Brockwell, Busty

1925 - Brockwell, Busty

1930 - Brockwell, Busty

1935 - Brass Thill, Brockwell, Busty

1950 - Brockwell, Busty

1955 - Brockwell, Three Quarter

1960 - Brockwell, Busty, Three Quarter

1964 - Brockwell, Busty, Three Quarter, Tilley

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Byermoor Colliery

Notes:

1938, 18 Jul - Brass Thill seam abandoned

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for Byermoor Colliery

Description

There are now three large collieries in this parish worked by John Bowes & Partners, Limited. At Marley Hill the following seams are worked :- Main Coal, 4 feet thick, at a depth of 35 fathoms ; the Busty, 5 feet 6 inches, 72 fathoms ; and the Brockwell, 3 feet, 86 fathoms, worked by two shafts. The average daily output is about 700 tons. There are 330 coke ovens, in which two thirds of the output is converted into coke. The total number of men and boys employed is about 520. Nearly one mile west is the Byermoor Colliery, working the Busty and Brockwell seams, having and output of 500 tons per day. Here are 156 coke ovens ; the number employed is 380. Andrews House Colliery, situated about one mile south of Marley Hill, was commenced in 1843 ; here the Main coal is only worked, giving employment to 170 men and boys ; the output averages 340 tons per day.

Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None Found

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

						Boyd, John, 08 Aug 1904, aged 59, Stoneman, Caused by the premature explosion of a shot in the sandstone roof of a coal seam charged with 2½ lbs. of compressed gunpowder. The mode of firing was to light a piece of greased paper stuck under the sulphur covered end of a patent squib inserted in the hole left by the withdrawal of the pricker. Deceased lived three-quarters of a hour after the accident, and stated that on lighting the greased paper it flared up and the shot exploded. The Local Inspectors reported "it has been a pure accident"
						Harrison, Edward, 30 Oct 1878, aged 49, Hewer, killed by a fall of coal
						Henderson, William, 16 Jan 1894, 2:00 a.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 29, Shifter, These men were bottom cutting, and had just about finished their work when a large fall of post stone took place, killing them on the spot. According to the evidence the place was well timbered, and it is surmised that they had undermined the props, six of which were afterwards found under the stone [Inspection made & inquest attended] [More information ...]
						Hunter, James, 08 Jan 1862, aged 40, boiler explosion, lived at Busty Bank; left a widow and four children [More information ...]
						Knott, George, 13 Jan 1875, aged 12, Driver, Chester Ward Coroner's Inquest, place: Byer Moor, cause: run over by coal tub (DRO Ref: COR/C/2/210)
						Layton, William, 12 Jul 1898, aged 27, Blacksmith, Some iron ladders were being put into a staple, and deceased, who was guiding the last one, which was suspended from a rope, into its place, is supposed to have clutched one of them which had not been securely fastened fell with it to the bottom a distance of 23 feet [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Nelson, John, 19 Jan 1870, aged 16, Putter, crushed by tubs
						Pickering, Thomas, 27 Sep 1899, aged 62, Deputy, While engaged in drawing timber out of a "broken jud." a large stone unexpectedly fell from slips. Deceased was an experienced man and appeared to have exercised ordinary care [Inspection made & inquest attended]
						Robson, John, 08 Jan 1862, aged 26, boiler explosion, left a widow; only married one month [More information ...]
						Sylkie, James, 16 Jan 1894, 2:00 a.m., 8th hour of shift, aged 47, Shifter, These men were bottom cutting, and had just about finished their work when a large fall of post stone took place, killing them on the spot. According to the evidence the place was well timbered, and it is surmised that they had undermined the props, six of which were afterwards found under the stone [Inspection made & inquest attended] [More information ...]
						Taylor, William, 18 Jan 1948, (accident: 14 Jan 1948), aged 66, Stoneman, he was proceeding outbye at the end of his shift, along with other workmen, when he was caught by a set of tubs and sustained extensive injuries
						Turnbull, Wallas, 17 Mar 1905, (accident: 10 Mar 1905), aged 16, Driver [More information ...]

						12 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been kindly provided by Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser and Durham Chronicle) and are marked with .

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Byermoor Colliery

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Byermoor Colliery

Gallery Images:

Credits

Sources:

1870 Mines Inspectors Report (C 456) Where to find this report
1875 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 1499), Newcastle-on-Tyne District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1878 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2321), Newcastle District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241)
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1894 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1894 Mines Inspectors Report (C 7667), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1896 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, also available online at Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd
1898 Mines Inspectors Report (C 9264), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1899 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 134), Newcastle District (No. 3) by John L. Hedley, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1900 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1902 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1904 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2506), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1905 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1905 Mines Inspectors Report (Cd 2910), Newcastle District (No. 3) by J. B. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1909 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1910 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1915 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1919 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1921 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1925 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1930 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1935 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1940 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory published by Louis Cassier Co. Ltd.
1945 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1947 The Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1950 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1955 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1960 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1964 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Supplement, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1910
Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
Contributions by members of the Public
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
Mineral Statistics for 1869 (Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, and of the Museum of Practical Geology), compiled by Robert Hunt, F.R.S.
Mineral Statistics for 1883 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4058), published in 1884 — includes List of Mines and Mineral Works

Pictures:

Colliery picture from old postcard

Further Research:

Research Notes for Byermoor Colliery

Mail:
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